Kwame Kilpatrick and Bobby Ferguson found guilty of charges (video)

The verdict is in on the charges against Detroit’s former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, his father Bernard Kilpatrick and Detroit contractor Bobby Ferguson … and the news is not good. Both the former mayor and his friend and supporter Ferguson, have been found guilty on an overwhelming number of charges of conspiracy, extortion, fraud, tax evasion and misuse of government funds.

Prosecutors are apparently elated about the guilty verdicts for Kilpatrick and Ferguson, although the elder Kilpatrick who faced only four counts of misdoing was found not guilty on two counts and the jury was hung on the third count, having been found guilty of one count of tax evasion. Insiders speculate that Bernard Kilpatrick was not an active participant in his son’s criminal enterprise, known as Kilpatrick, Inc.

The guilty verdicts bring to a close a tragic and dark period for Detroit’s citizens who have endured the years-long and arduous process of putting the political disgrace of the one-time political prodigy behind them.

Jurors convicted Kilpatrick of a legthy list of crimes, including a racketeering conspiracy charge. During the five-month trial Kilpatrick’s already tarnished image, took even moe of a beating as he emerged as an arrogrant and unremorseful ‘politrician’ who took bribes, rigged contracts and lived far beyond his means while in office until fall 2008.

Following is a list of charges and verdicts against former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, his father Bernard Kilpatrick and co-conspirator Bobby Ferguson